Post-Racial America free essay sample

In his article, â€Å"What Happened to Post-Racial America? † Roger Simon not only questions America being post-racial as a country, but he actually questions if America was ever a country free from racism and racial discrimination. First, Simon informs the reader of a cover on the New Yorker which was printed the summer before Obama became president. Although the cover seemingly laughed off outrageous views that some people supposedly felt about Obama, Simon addresses the fact that â€Å"those obvious distortions† on the cover are now seriously talked and debated about today in American media. Simon also mentions that during a trip to Turkey, President Obama stated, â€Å"our society has continued to improve; that racial discrimination has been reduced†. Simon informs the reader that some Americans claim President Obama is an alien while others claim he is racist against whites. Simon also mentions the fact that although President Obama did obviously win the presidential election, it was because he had enough white votes when counted with the minority votes to win. In other words, the majority of the white voters did not vote for President Obama. In the end, Simon concludes that America is getting closer to being post-racial, but there are still â€Å"mountains yet to climb. † When I was searching for an article to write about, the title of Simon’s essay caught my attention. I saw the title and thought to myself, â€Å"When was America ever post-racial? † His essay addresses my question in the very first paragraph with the first example. Simon mentions the fact that the â€Å"obvious distortions† that were addressed on the cover of the New Yorker concerning President Obama are now seriously talked about. I have to agree with Simon on this point. It is not only spoken about on the radio and television as Simon mentions, but those issues are also mentioned on social media sites such as Facebook as well. The very fact that these issues continue to be addressed shows that racial discrimination is still very much alive today in America. Simon also comments that some people question President Obama’s actual citizenship. During the last presidential debate between President Obama and Mitt Romney, I attended a debate watching party and heard those very accusations against our president. Lastly, one statement caught my attention while I was reading the article. Simon simply wrote, â€Å"But how did things turn around so fast? They didn’t. † He was referring to the fact that we as a nation have never been a post-racial country. I have to completely agree with his simple statement; America has yet to actually be united in this area. I, like Simon, do agree that we as a nation are getting closer to becoming a country where racism no longer exists. A Summary/Response of â€Å"Opinion: Tim Wise: What is post-racial? Reflections on denial and reality† In his article, â€Å"Opinion: Tim Wise: What is post-racial? Reflections on denial and reality,† Tim Wise describes the term â€Å"post-racial† as being a fallacy and maintains that our country still shows signs of racism and racial discrimination. He feels it is unreasonable for some people to believe that as a result of electing a black president, the racial discrimination in our country will now fade away. By using the term, post-racial, Wise believes people are actually avoiding the racism and discrimination that is still ever present in our society. He states that if America is truly post-racial, then how do we explain the wealth and social hierarchy of our current economy? He states that the typical white family has â€Å"20 times the net worth of the typical black family and 18 times that of the typical Latino family. † He further claims that a white man with a criminal record has a better likelihood of receiving a second job interview over a black man with no record at all. Wise also states the unemployment rate is higher for blacks, Latinos, and Asian Americans with college degrees than it is for whites with a degree. He also writes that if we are a post-racial country, how is it possible that we have more people of color in jail for abusing drugs than whites â€Å"although whites use drugs just as often as blacks. † He states that even in the 1960s people believed our nation did not have an issue of discrimination. In other words, he states that most whites believed that blacks had the same opportunities that the whites did. In the end, Wise feels our country is by no means a post-racial country. I have to disagree with Wise when he infers that the term, post-racial, is something that is not attainable. He implies that if you use the term, then you are avoiding the issues of racism and discrimination that are ever present in our society. I disagree. I believe that it is something that our country is able to work towards. To me, an ideal society would learn to appreciate the differences each person has rather than discriminate for being different. I also do not believe it is a diversion at all, as Wise states. I think the problem lies in the fact that people are just so afraid of what is different. I believe the term shows there is a hope for change. Wise mentions that if we are truly a post-racial country, then why are there so many injustices towards blacks. I believe that is because we are still very discriminating in this country. The fact is, we still are not there yet when it comes to being post-racial as a nation. However, I do believe we are moving in the right direction. Wise uses the terms â€Å"delusion† and â€Å"white denial† which offends me. I know that, in reality, we have things to work on as a nation. In the real world, problems are very prevalent as a direct result of racial discrimination. He seems to imply that because I believe in the term, post-racial, I therefore do not acknowledge those very problems. I think it means I see a problem, but I also see our country making small advances in the right direction. In the end, I love the idea of there someday being an America that is considered to be truly post-racial.